Having a baby in an Ohio hospital can be both exciting and stressful. If this is your first go-around, you might be reading all you can get your hands on about what to expect in pregnancy, labor and delivery. Then again, you might be one of those people who think you’re better off not knowing too much, else you might worry over every little issue.
That’s where your medical team comes in. Their job is to keep a close watch on you and your baby to keep you both as safe as possible. If an issue raises concern, your doctor and other medical team members will know what to do to help you overcome the problem, perhaps through specialized treatment or an urgent decision, such as doing a C-section delivery. If your doctor, nurse or other staff member is negligent, you or your child might suffer serious injury.
Concerning issues your doctor should closely monitor
The following list includes issues that would likely land you in a high-risk pregnancy category or prompt a need for urgent care during labor and delivery:
- Maternal high blood pressure: If you have high blood pressure, you’re at risk for pre-eclampsia, a potentially life-threatening situation for you and your infant.
- Baby too large: When you attend prenatal visits, they estimate your baby’s weight, length, head circumference and other important measurements. If your doctor believes your baby is too large to fit through the birth canal, he or she might opt for a C-section delivery.
- Shoulder dystocia: Babies sometimes get stuck in the birth canal. If your child is in a precarious position or is too large to fit through your vaginal cavity, your doctor will have to think and act quickly to develop an alternate plan.
Bleeding, lack of oxygen to the brain and other complications often stem from the issues mentioned earlier. Especially in an emergency situation, you should be able to rely on your medical team to know what to do and to do it within a safe time frame. Sadly, that’s not always how pregnancy, labor and delivery unfold.
What to do if you or your child suffer injury
When you go to the hospital to have a baby and wind up suffering a tragedy, it’s only right that Ohio law allows you to seek justice on your own behalf and that of your child. In such situations, it’s best to take one day at a time. Your child might need care that you have not yet learned how to provide.
That’s where a strong support network comes in. You can enlist help from other mothers who have gone through similar experiences and also from licensed in-home care providers who can assist you in taking care of your injured child’s needs.